Dragon's Milk | New Holland Brewing Company

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Like this one a lot. Seems I'm an "outlier," so I need to elaborate. The bourbon flavor does make it a bit harsh, but that's balanced by a smooth creaminess that makes a great combination. The heartiness of the underlying stout itself is top notch as well, but I'm really not one to go into flowery descriptors so this will have to do.

Hearty whiskey nose with chocolate. Significant bourbon flavor at the beginning that transitions to a very sweet and rich chocolate/caramel mix. Strong whiskey washes back in on the finish. Very complex, and extremely good.

This beer has a beautiful texture and a heavy, creamy mouth weight. You will certainly taste the bourbon immediately followed by a smooth finish and a little sweet. This beer is not for everyone. If you like something with a lot of body and character, you'll enjoy a couple of these. With the ABV at 11%, you won't need too many nor will you be able to handle too many.

L: dark chocolate in a tall glass
S: chocolate with hints of cocoa
T- chocolate and cherries with cocoa and coffee hints, more robust flavor than your typical stout or porter
F- malty, bitter aftertaste
O- a local restaurant just got it on tap and I'll be having it again, went well with almond chicken salad. Not as good as Founders Breakfast Stout but still very drinkable. On a side note, I got home after drinking it and took a 2-hour nap, it damn near knocked me out. Double stouts tend to sap all of my energy.

L: Black with a nice tan head.
S: Wow, smells great! It's a nice chocolate and bourbon mix
T: Bourbon and cream. So smooth and easy drinking. Really get vanilla and cream with bourbon. It's fairly sweet, but I'm not getting much chocolate or dark roast.
F: Very smooth and coats well. Not as dense as the cream of the crop.
O: Very good, and it's a year round production!!!! No bs waiting in lines or waiting until winter, thank you New Holland for that. Highly recommendable @ $15 per 4 pack.

Pours a thick, black liquid with a medium graham cracker head that dissipates very quickly.

The smell is oak, molasses, with a hint of chocolate on the back. I really love the oak forward aromas I'm sensing with this one.

The taste is about the same as the nose, except the bourbon makes its triumphant appearance. There are still hints of oak, chocolate, and even some vanilla. I do detect quite of bit of lingering alcohol burn on the end, but it is not a deterring factor. All in all, the taste is very heavily bourbon forward, which I enjoy quite a bit.

The mouthfeel is rather heavy and "chewy" with medium to medium-high carbonation. The alcohol definitely lingers but isn't distracting, especially not for an 11 abv.

I'd say this is a very underappreciated BBA Stout. In my opinion, it holds its own against the big guns. Very impressive, and at $2.99 for a 12 ounce bottle? Can't beat that.

a - dark black brown beer, nice smooth tan head that leaves a nice lacing.
s - oak, vanilla, dark chocolatey malts, coffee, bourbon, really well blended
t - vanilla, creamy, bourbon, chocolate, umami/wholesomeness, oak barrel
m - medium-heavy, a little thin for an 11% BA stout, alc is mostly covered/some bourbon flavor gives you the impression of alcohol but it doesn't have a burn to it at all, aftertaste is bourbon/oak/dark malts
overall - two points to make here from previous reviews I've read:
#1. this is an incredibly well balanced bourbon barrel aged stout that's available year round, in most places. Anyone who gets "too much bourbon" off this beer just doesn't drink BBA stouts, period. For the availability and the length of time this is aged, this is as good as it can possibly get. And I did not age this bottle, this was the 2015 batch bought from the store yesterday, so I'm not biased by drinking an older bottle either.
#2. Any report of dark fruits in this beer is highly likely imagined. This beer has a dry character characteristic of an American ale yeast. I'm not getting figs, plums, cherries, etc, and I shouldn't be. It's not a Belgian stout.
Great beer. Have bought many times and will buy it again many more. I'd recommend it to anyone.

New Holland Dragon's Milk Bourbon Barrel Stout has a black body. A 1 1/2-finger bubbly and creamy khaki color head was produced that dissipated to a collar of foam in my snifter. The nose was dominated by an 'oakie' and roasted malt with just a splash of chocolate in the background. The taste was similar but more complex than the nose. The bourbon makes a nice appearance followed by an addition of caramel and vanilla. A pleasant alcohol warming is also noticed. The mouth feel is to the full side, creamy, and a little sticky with a medium carbonation. Due to its full flavor and its 11% abv it makes for a nice after dinner sipper.

If you are a fan of the American Double/Imperial Stout this is a must try. Well done New Holland.

Pours black, with a medium-thin khaki head. Short head retention with only a handful of lacing dots left behind. Deep roasted malts, vanilla, and oak make up a dark aroma. Taste is sublime, with roasted malts, vanilla, oak, and bourbon. Feel is thick, and smooth. Not the most creamy or robust though. Overall, a sublime imperial stout. Readily available, and pleasant to drink give this one high regards for me.

Pours a one finger light tan head that vanishes leaving no lace. Black color, no highlights. Good carbonation and medium bodied. Molasses and malt nose and taste is bourbon, sweet malt and molasses. High ABV is hidden. $4.80 for a 12oz bottle from Colonial Spirits Acton, Ma.

New Holland Brewing
Dragon’s Milk 11.0% ABV
31 IBUs
Bourbon barrel-aged Stout
Pours very Dark with light head and lacing; carbonation light/medium; site says pairs well with red/smoked meats, rich cheese, dark chocolate; New Holland :”lives between a porter, a stout, and a dark ale. Dark, roasty tones of a stout; coffee and chocolate from the malted barley; bourbon barrels brings sweet booziness of bourbon; the oak brings vanilla (and sometimes coconut).”
I found that this beer changed dramatically as it warmed with the chocolate overtones blending with the original bourbon sweetness. This is a year-round offering. Simply, an excellent beer. Personally, I would prefer Fall & Winter months. Excellent.

2015 Vintage
Pours dark as night w medium fluffy khaki head. Nose is sweet coffee and chocolate. First taste was mostly bourbon w strong dark coffee. As I got into the beer vanilla came through as did a sweet milk chocolate. Body was light to medium. Became easier to drink after each sip getting sweeter and creamier. Excellent stout. Perfect with dark chocolate.

I am probably biased with this brew, as I am from Michigan, and I can get it for $7.99 by the *big* bottle.

This is likely one of the top bourbon barrel aged stouts out of most Michigan brews. Not sure it hits the tier of KBS, but damn it's close. Good vanilla/toffee taste, and strong as all-get-out. If you have the chance, pick it up. It's worth it.

This is a really great bear. It reminds me of Ayinger Doppelbock with it's burnt sugar sweetness. It takes a heavy pour to get any head at all and what head there is doesn't last. The bourbon barrel aging adds a new dimension to the flavor. I've had many bourbon barrel aged beers that taste like bourbon and nothing else. This is not one of those, and to be honest I doubt I would have even tried this beer had I seen that printed at the bottom of the label. Mouth feel is milky and very heavy. You pretty much expect this from such a dark beer. I may be imagining things but I'm pretty sure this beer is so dark it sucked the light out of the room I poured it in as well as the adjacent rooms. I poured my first in a frosty pint glass, but the rest I poured in in coffee cup, because it seemed appropriate at the time. Did I mention this stuff is strong? I ask this question because it is strong beer. Delicious and highly recommended.

APPEARANCE: Coming out of the bottle the liquid is a very dark brown and once it is in the glass it appears nearly black. Shining a light through the back of the glass results in some very pretty, ruby red highlights standing out against the black backdrop. The head fizzles up to about a quarter-inch before fading into some patchy wisps that stick around on the surface of the beer for nearly the entire glass. Lacing is minimal.

SMELL: There is a ton going on here, with big vanilla, chocolate and caramel aromas. The combination smells a lot like fresh baked brownies. A hint of oak and a touch of roasted coffee beans is also present.

TASTE: In the nose, the vanilla, chocolate and caramel were all pretty equally represented, but in the taste the chocolate wins and comes through strongest. Vanilla and caramel tie for second as a hefty dose of coffee and oak bring up the rear of the field. Hints of anise and dark fruit also dance around the palate, especially towards the finish.

MOUTHFEEL: Of course the body is big, but not as big as you might expect. The Dragon’s Milk goes down silky and smooth with a strong, but not overwhelming sweetness. The balance is actually quite nice with a subtle bitterness coming from the coffee notes.

OVERALL: Since New Holland’s arrival in Colorado this has quickly become a go-to for me. I love big, imperial stouts and I love bourbon barrel-aged beers…it’s a treat to be able to have both any time of year now.